Dawn Tendering in NE/Canada

[alwalaska]

Hi! While I was doing some research for my 2013 cruise, I noticed that in 2012, the Dawn in tendering in Charlottetown. Does anyone know what other ports she may tender in. My mom has mobility issues and the number of tender ports will definitely affect our planning.

 

I though NCL put tender port information on the cruise itinerary, but I guess not.

 

Does anyone have experience tendering on the Dawn in general and on a Canada/NE cruise specifically? We didn't have a problem tendering at the private island (Sky), but in Belize (Spirit), it was very slow and there were long lines early.

[Swells1]

I don't know all of your ports, but I do recall that Bar Harbor requires a tender.

[alwalaska]

I don't know all of your ports, but I do recall that Bar Harbor requires a tender.

Thanks. Our ports are:

• Portland
  
• Halifax
  
• Charlottetown
  
• Gaspesie, Quebec
  
• La Baie, Qubec
  
• Qubec City
  
• Corner Brook
  
• Sydney
  
• Saint John
  
• Bar Harbor
  

[jdvmd]

Bar Harbor is the one that comes to mind first as tendering. Halifax and St. John's, you are docked.

[cruiser1220]

Hi! While I was doing some research for my 2013 cruise, I noticed that in 2012, the Dawn in tendering in Charlottetown. Does anyone know what other ports she may tender in. My mom has mobility issues and the number of tender ports will definitely affect our planning.

 

I though NCL put tender port information on the cruise itinerary, but I guess not.

 

Does anyone have experience tendering on the Dawn in general and on a Canada/NE cruise specifically? We didn't have a problem tendering at the private island (Sky), but in Belize (Spirit), it was very slow and there were long lines early.

 

Two weeks ago we tendered in the Dominican Republic on the Dawn. If you went to Cayo Levantado you would tender via the ship's lifeboats. The ship arrived almost an hour after scheduled arrival, but we began tendering immediately after the all clear was given and the ship dropped anchor.

The cruise staff gave tender tickets around 8 am (we were scheduled to arrive at 11am) and each has a number. They would call out numbers by the 100's and priority passes/shore excursions (ex: tender tickets 100-200 and priority passes).

The process was quick, and extremely organized. Of course, all the passengers were anxious to get off, but everything was so well done that by the time we got to the gangway (approx. 12:30) they were announcing that tender tickets 200-300 could make their way down.

 

We were a group of 8 traveling, and one member was my 80 yr old grandmother. The crew was extremely respectful and helpful with helping her get on/off the tenders. The crew tried to stop the tender from moving so much (the water was a little choppy) so that she could get on easier.

 

No experience tendering in Canada, but if you do tender, simply ask them to help your mother and they will be more than glad to help.

[alwalaska]

Two weeks ago we tendered in the Dominican Republic on the Dawn. If you went to Cayo Levantado you would tender via the ship's lifeboats. The ship arrived almost an hour after scheduled arrival, but we began tendering immediately after the all clear was given and the ship dropped anchor.

The cruise staff gave tender tickets around 8 am (we were scheduled to arrive at 11am) and each has a number. They would call out numbers by the 100's and priority passes/shore excursions (ex: tender tickets 100-200 and priority passes).

The process was quick, and extremely organized. Of course, all the passengers were anxious to get off, but everything was so well done that by the time we got to the gangway (approx. 12:30) they were announcing that tender tickets 200-300 could make their way down.

 

We were a group of 8 traveling, and one member was my 80 yr old grandmother. The crew was extremely respectful and helpful with helping her get on/off the tenders. The crew tried to stop the tender from moving so much (the water was a little choppy) so that she could get on easier.

 

No experience tendering in Canada, but if you do tender, simply ask them to help your mother and they will be more than glad to help.

Thanks. That really helps. Although, if it takes 30 minutes to get to 300, how long did it take to get to 3,000?

 

How early did you go down to get your tickets to be in the 200-300 range?

 

I know every cruise is different. I'm thinking that with 12 ports of call (if doing the 14 day cruise) and an 8am arrival, and possibly an older crowd going to Canada late September, that a lot of people won't want to get off of the ship early. :)

[cruiser1220]

Thanks. That really helps. Although, if it takes 30 minutes to get to 300, how long did it take to get to 3,000?

 

How early did you go down to get your tickets to be in the 200-300 range?

 

I know every cruise is different. I'm thinking that with 12 ports of call (if doing the 14 day cruise) and an 8am arrival, and possibly an older crowd going to Canada late September, that a lot of people won't want to get off of the ship early. :)

 

I sent my brother to stand in line and get the tickets ~7:45ish. When I went down (I went to remind him that not everyone wanted to go to Cayo (at that point, but eventually they all went) & found him at about the middle of the photo gallery. It took about 15-20 minutes tops to get the tickets after they began distribution. The best thing about NCL tender ticket distribution is that you only need 1 member of your party to go and get the tickets for everyone (they ask you how many tickets you need once there) :)

 

Three of us went on the early group to Cayo Levantado, but we found the rest of our group around 1:30pm. I'm not sure of the tender ticket # they had, but by 2pm most people were already off the ship, so somewhere between 12:30 and 2 they really sped things up!

 

I imagine your tendering experience will be slightly different, and, as you said, many people may either want to leave the ship very early to return early, or they may want to get a few more ZzZ's and opt for later tenders.

[alwalaska]

Thanks again Cruise1220. 15 minutes early to get in line and just over 2 hours to get just about everyone off the ship who wants off, that is really good.

[DevCruise]

Thanks again Cruise1220. 15 minutes early to get in line and just over 2 hours to get just about everyone off the ship who wants off, that is really good.

 

This is the important point....not everybody gets off....:) And some people go later in the day....

[cruiser1220]

Thanks again Cruise1220. 15 minutes early to get in line and just over 2 hours to get just about everyone off the ship who wants off, that is really good.

 

Glad I could help :)

Yes, the Dawn was impressive! The crew really knows how to run things on the ship. As you mentioned in the original post, tendering can be a disaster at times, but thankfully on this ship it wasn't.

My brother wasn't all too thrilled when I called his cabin to send him to get in line for the tickets but even he said it was worth it, as we got fairly low numbers for a quick tendering process, we were in and out of the line pretty quick, and everything went so smoothly. Also remember that in addition to the 300 people they had called by 12:30, all the people on shore excursions had also left. I think you're right & they had a great tendering process. Certainly one of the best I've ever seen.

 

Happy cruising!

[bob brown]

I believe they do put tender info on the itinerary, normally. There are sometimes variables. In some ports, like Charlottetown a couple of years ago, all ships had to tender due to construction at the dock. And in some ports like Sydney, there is only room for one ship to dock, so others have to tender. In Bar Harbor, all ships always have to tender. In some cases, if the weather is too rough for tendering, the port will be cancelled and either another substituted, or more likely another day at sea.

Of the others on your itinerary, Portland, Saint John, Halifax, Corner Brook, and Quebec are docked. I haven't been to Gaspe or La Baie, so cannot tell.

[bob brown]

Bar Harbor is the one that comes to mind first as tendering. Halifax and St. John's, you are docked.

The Dawn is going to Saint John, New Brunswick, not St. John's, Newfoundland....:)